Open thread: Favorite workout DVDs

25th August 2008

Open thread: Favorite workout DVDs

posted in Fitness/Exercise |

I’m not the class kind of gym-goer and besides, my company gym doesn’t offer any classes even if I were the kind to join a roomful of women attempting to become human pretzels. I’m also about as rhythmic as, say, Frankenstein on fire, so I tend to stay away from step and aerobic classes that rely on one having some innate sense of hand-and-arm coordination. But in the past couple weeks, I’d discovered FitTV and I’m now doing all kinds of fun class kind of workout in the privacy and comfort of my own living room with only my cats to give me strange looks as I attempt to shake it Bhangra Masala-style.

The commercials on FitTV are marked by weight-loss products, but surprisingly, the shows aren’t. I’ve become a fan of All Star Workout, Namaste Yoga, Shimmy and Body Sculpt with Gilad, and most of the talk on these shows centers on feeling stronger and healthier, not weight-loss. And while many of the “extras” on the shows are thin, of course, Cathe Friedrich’s show features a 200-pound or so woman with a solid midsection and muscular legs who not only keeps up effortlessly, but never loses her pasted-on smile. For me, exercise not only has to be fun, it has to be diverse so I don’t get bored and FitTV offers everything from pilates to belly dancing to Indian dance moves to a weight lifting/yoga hybrid.

What are your favorite workout DVDs or fitness personalities? Or, what are your favorite kinds of workouts in general?

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1 On August 25th, 2008, sara

said:

I really enjoy running in the park next to my apartment. I live in the south of France and we are allowed to run in the zoo, so I get to see the animals while exercising. The best time to run for me in at 6 in the morning, so I’m pretty much an early bird now! But I also like to exercise to “HipHop Moves 5″ or such silliness.

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 11:15 am

2 On August 25th, 2008, moxie

The Firm is probably my favorite exercise series, I love how they incorporate weight training into their aerobics with an emphasis on building muscle/endurance and being strong. Their infomercials are terribad though, emphasizing weight loss in a major way. Still… I enjoy workouts the most not when I’m flailing my arms about in cheesy dance routines, but when I’m lifting weights or doing aerobics w/ weights. It makes me sweat and I when I finish I feel like I can do anything.

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 12:07 pm

3 On August 25th, 2008, Marste

Because of my dance background, I much prefer dance-style activity - the more complicated, the better. I’ve taken classes at various gyms, but I have enough residual body insecurities that I prefer to work out in the solitude of my own home.

That said, I love the Mari Winsor Pilates series, because it’s the only one I’ve found that actually does the movements correctly. I also really like Rodney Yee’s Yoga Burn - I always get a good workout, but I always feel really peaceful afterward.

And despite a fairly large amount of weight-loss focus, I LOVE the Turbo Jam DVDs. I like that the combinations and number of reps are constantly changing, the fact that the instructor is SO EXCITED about doing the workout (though if I’m in a really cranky mood, I just find her annoying), the fact that the classes are all made up of people who know each other and genuinely seem to like each other. Those are the only cardio DVDs I’ve found that I really enjoy (and am likely to finish).

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 12:48 pm

4 On August 25th, 2008, ladyjaye

I’m a big fan of aquafitness. My next semester is starting in less than a month, and I’ll be attending twice a week (I debated registering for more aquagym classes, but decided that for more than twice a week, I’m more likely to lapse in attendance).

I’m just not disciplined enough to do the whole at-home routine; besides, I have downstairs neighbors and their 1-year-old son’s room is under my living room. Otherwise, I would have kept my Dance Dance Revolution mat, about the only home exercise I ever was able to stick with.

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 1:11 pm

5 On August 25th, 2008, cubicalgirl

I like The Firm’s Cardio Dance Slim-Down. I’m terminally clumsy but I can handle these moves. Despite the word “dance” in the title, I would not bust these out at the club, though.

I’m also a big fan of renting workout DVDs on Netflix (I don’t have cable, so I can’t get fitness channels or on-demand workouts). You can try them out and decide if you want to buy them, or just keep a rotation of different ones so you can vary your workout.

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 1:15 pm

6 On August 25th, 2008, Wicked

I love Leslie Sansone’s Walk and Tone DVD, but I can’t stand her voice, so I watch it with my head phones on. It works so much better that way. Plus, it’s also on In-Demand!

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 1:27 pm

7 On August 25th, 2008, Rachel2

Yoga Booty Ballet all the way! It’s fun, it’s exciting, and there are many different workouts. It’s focused on positive thought and focus within, and does a great job of it!

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 1:43 pm

8 On August 25th, 2008, Melissa

Yoga Booty Ballet sounds like fun!!

I’ve done some Yoga DVD with the Gaiam series, that’s about it. I enjoy them but don’t do them religiously!

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 2:59 pm

9 On August 25th, 2008, nolafwug

I second running outside - my favorite hands down.

I love Ana Caban’s Pilates DVDs. I love Cathe Friedrichs. I just discovered Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred and that’s a killer workout.

I am looking to find some other things to diversify the rotation so - thanks everyone for sharing!

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 5:04 pm

10 On August 25th, 2008, KT

I love Shiva Rea’s yoga DVDs. Most of them include a “yoga matrix” which enables you to tailor the sequences you want to do (listen to me, I sound like an advertisement :P). I enjoy her style, especially on her “Yoga Trance Dance” (I know, dorky title) DVD, which for me fits the HAES idea of movement for play and fun. I always feel like a little kid dancing around my living room when I do that one.

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 6:26 pm

11 On August 25th, 2008, JeanC

I have a few fitness vids, one is for the fit ball I no longer have thanks to a kitty that was pretty good and weight neutral (it is on VHS tho and I can’t view it anymore). I have a belly dance DVD that is also pretty good when I feel like doing it.

I just got a tai chi for arthritis DVD thru ILL this afternoon, I’ll take it home to see if it is any good. I picked it up mostly for hubby, but it will be good (I hope) for me while I am getting my right knee back into shape after the surgery. If we like it, we’ll get a copy of our own.

My favorite workout tho is aqua fitness and I am hoping in a month to sign up for the classes at the therapy pool our local hospital took over last year. If their fall schedule stays the same as the spring one I can hit them right after work twice a week. Sessions are $5 each or $50 a month.

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 8:05 pm

12 On August 25th, 2008, Stef

I sometimes peruse the http://collagevideo.com web site; they classify videos by type (aerobic floor, aerobic step, muscle toning, etc.) and rate videos by how much dancing is involved and how difficult the exercise is. Their ratings are pretty accurate. You can also see a video clip, which can give you a sense for whether you tolerate the instructor. However, be warned that there’s a fair amount of weight loss promotion on the site in general.

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 8:36 pm

13 On August 25th, 2008, Bree

When I used to work at a video store, we had one Richard Simmons’ “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” tape and I played that a lot while I worked because of the music and the workout seemed less like a workout and more like going to a dance, and it actually showed people my size, not just only fit hardbodies. So I took it home one weekend, popped it into my VCR and did the routine. By the time the tape was over, I was extremely hot and sweaty, but I felt good. The one thing I don’t like about Richard’s tapes is he has to include those pathetic cry-fests he was so famous for on his informericals.

And when I was really little, there used to be a morning workout on Channel 13 in Baltimore during the 80s. I think the woman’s first name was Joanie. She looked like a female Rod Stewart. I would get up early and workout with her. She was a lot of fun.

Now I just like dancing in my room to fast music, especially HI-NRG, club, and trance. I have a lot of that music on my iPod and it’s great stuff to walk to as well. Many of the songs are over five minutes, so you can easily get in 30 minutes of exercise. I have gone as long as 60 minutes just dancing.

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 8:42 pm

14 On August 26th, 2008, Phaedra

I like Billy Blanks Tae-Bo Amped series. I feel like he really motivates me. And trust me, home alone trying to a workout, I need all the motivation I can get.

posted on August 26th, 2008 at 7:28 am

15 On August 26th, 2008, gillian

I just started using Jackie Warner’s One-on-One DVD. I’ve been a big fan of her show on Bravo, and the great thing about her DVD is that she’s got a few of her trainers demonstrating the exercises at various levels - one doing modifications for less experienced exercisers and one doing extra work with more body resistance and free weights for more experienced exercisers - and seeing familiar faces from the show makes working out at home a little less scary, they’re not just perfect bodies demonstrating exercises, they’re people you’ve cheered for and felt bad for throughout the season of the show.

The other thing that’s great is the extra “tips” section, where Jackie encourages watching the trainers’ form and learning to model yourself after them instead of struggling to keep up with the pace and running the risk of getting hurt due to sloppy form.

What I’ve always admired about Jackie is her commitment to helping people improve themselves for themselves. Her gym has a program where each trainer is paired with a client who has serious weight-related health issues, and they work together one on one, and in group sessions, to help each other lose weight, learn about good nutrition, and get healthier. Naturally, no one leaves the program looking like Cindy Crawford or anything, but when they have the reveal episodes on TV, everyone’s so proud of what they’ve accomplished and how confident they now feel because someone took the time to help them learn to help themselves.

posted on August 26th, 2008 at 8:11 pm

16 On August 28th, 2008, apophenia

The Pontani Sisters Go-Go Robics FTW!

They are awesome, kitschy, fun workouts, and what’s more, none of them look like they’d snap in a brisk wind. They’re healthy, sassy girls dancing, having fun, and teaching you classic 1960s go-go moves.

http://www.pontanisisters.com/dvd_book.html

posted on August 28th, 2008 at 3:29 pm

17 On August 29th, 2008, uk3mi

Callanetics, old fashion perhaps but very relaxing and quite effective. It’s not about weight loss either. I found it helped me improve my posture and loose a few inches. Some exercises are quite hard at first.

http://www.amazon.com/Callanetics-Years-Younger-Hours-Amazon-com/dp/B00064K0RI

posted on August 29th, 2008 at 1:44 pm

18 On August 29th, 2008, keshmeshi

I like Billy Blanks as well. He’s not patronizing, which is a welcome change from some fitness types *cough* Denise Austin *cough*. He also has a pretty decent range of body types in his videos. I also like Kathy Smith’s salsa workouts. She’s a little overexuberant, but the workouts are fun.

posted on August 29th, 2008 at 11:00 pm

19 On September 4th, 2008, ShoeLaLa

I love the Kathy Smith workout videos. They always have a good mix of people cast in them…men and women, older and younger, slimmer and more muscular or curvy folks. And she herself has awesome muscles. My 2 favourite ones are the ones with the 20 minute workouts on them, since I can always get myself to do 20 minutes of anything.

posted on September 4th, 2008 at 8:53 pm

20 On September 4th, 2008, Rachel

I’ve been doing the Gilad workouts on FitTV. I do leg machine exercises at the gym and never really feel the burn. Just 20 minutes with Gilad and I’m still sore two days later. It sold me. I just ordered Gilad’s Express Fitness. It’s two DVDs of 15 fitness routines all 10 minutes or less. I bought mine used on Amazon for about $16.

posted on September 4th, 2008 at 9:35 pm

21 On October 19th, 2008, Megan

I like anything by Cathe and I have enjoyed P90X, but more recently I have found some workout DVDs I really like from Discount Workouts. I found them looking for a good Kickboxing DVD, but they have everything and they are really cheap. All the DVDs have two full workouts and are priced under $7. This comment sounds like I work for them, but I really just like the workouts and the price.

posted on October 19th, 2008 at 3:01 am